W.H.: Obama would veto Iran sanctions bill

12/19/13 3:29 PM EST

President Barack Obama would veto an Iran sanctions bill with Democratic co-sponsors, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday.

“We don’t think this action is necessary, we don’t think it will be enacted. If it were enacted, the president would veto it,” Carney said of the Iran sanctions bill sponsored by, among others, Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Robert Menendez.

Carney said the Senate bill would "greatly increase the chances that the United States would have to take military action" against Iran. He said it would also be bad for attempts at negotiating with Iran and defy the will of the nation and the Congress.

“Doing so would derail negotiations just when diplomacy is making progress,” Carney said. “It would potentially divide the international community and obviously would suggest bad faith on the part of the United States.”

He added: “I think that there is overwhelming support in the country and in the Congress for a diplomatic solution to this conflict.”

Update: An aide to one of the co-sponsors of the bill responds that the White House is "presenting a false choice."

"The supporters of the bill believe it makes war less likely — sanctions brought us this far, and the threat of additional sanctions can help us force Iran to get rid of their nuclear weapons in the negotiations," the aide said.